Pillow block



June 18, 1357 DOWNS 2,796,304

PILLOW BLOCK Filed Nov. 24, 1953 INVENTOR.

Russell ED010225 ATTORNEYS Unite Fafnir Bearing Company, New Britain, Conn, a corporation of Connecticut Application November 2 4, 19 53, SerialNo. 394,009

1 laim.-- (C-la-3llfi- 72) My invention relates to a pillow block and more'particularly to a pillow block formed wholly or partially of sheet material such as sheet metal. Pillow blocks and like articles have heretofore been made of sheet metal and composed of base and top sections for securing a bearing therebetween.

It is an object of my invention to provide an improved pillow block or similar article formed of sheet metal, which is of sturdy construction and inexpensive to manufacture.

It is another object to provide a pillow block of the character indicated, having strengthening parts integrally formed therewith, so as to provide a relatively stiff, sturdy pillow block.

Another object is to provide a pillow block of the character indicated, with interfitting parts so that one part supports the other, and both parts together form a stiff, sturdy pillow block or the like for supporting an antifriction bearing.

:In the drawings which show, for illustrative purposes only, a preferred form of the invent-ion Fig. 1 is a top plan view in partial section of a pillow block housing, illustrative of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a view in end or axial elevation of the pillow block housing shown in Fig. .1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken substantially in the plane of the line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a central, vertical sectional view of the housing with a bearing in place.

In said drawing, the pillow block housing comprises a base section Sand a top housing section 6, which mutually cooperate to support an antifriction bearing 7, as will be described.

The base section 5, in the form shown, comprises oppositely directed outstanding feet 88 having openings 9 therein for the reception of means to fasten the pillow block to a support, and upstanding flanges or flangelike portions or members 1010 spaced apart from each other and sustaining or suspending between them a base housing section or portion 11, preferably in the form of a trough having a generally circular abutment portion 12 and upstanding generally radially inwardly directed flanges or sides 13 defining a trough for supporting the outer ring of the antifriction bearing 7. The trough 11 is of generally arcuate cross-section, as shown at 14 in Figs. 3 and 4, to receive the outer bearing ring 15 of the autifriction bearing, which ring preferably has an outer surface of generally a-rcuate section to fit the generally arcuate section 14 of a lower housing.

I provide strengthening means to resist relative spreading movement of the upstanding flange-like members 10l10, or any movement tending to change the position of the trough-like member 11 and the flange portions 10. In the form shown, I provide a deep groove or corrugation 16 in the upstanding flange 10 and the adjacent portion of the trough bearing section 11, so as to provide a substantial rib 17 extending across the space between tates atent Patented June-18,-- 1957 I 10, as is particularly clear in Fig. 2,. :abut against the inside of the top housing. or strap member 18, so-that the two housing parts mutually support .eachother and form a stiff housingconstruction. The strap portion 18 is provided with generally-inwardly directed flanges ,20 -at opposite sides and as shown particularly in Fig. 4, to assist in limitingself alignment of the bearing in thepillow block, and also to resist heavy end thrusts which may be applied to the bearing ring 15. These side flanges 20 furthermore preferably extend to near the base and embrace at least a part of the upstanding flanges 10 at the sides and preferably a part of the curved portion adjoining the upstanding flange parts 10 and trough bearing section I l; thus, the two housing sections are mutually supported to further strengthen and stiffen the pillow block as a whole.

The upper housing section 18 has outstanding feet 21-41, which fit over the feet 88 and are provided with apertures 2222 to receive the aforesaid securing means which secure the two housing portions to each other and to a support, and thus accurately confine the bearing in the housing.

The bearing itself preferably comprises, in addition to the outer ring 15, a long inner ring 23 with interposed antifric'tion bearing members such as balls 24. Suitable seals or shields 25 are provided for retaining lubricant in the bearing and excluding foreign matter therefrom. The inner ring 23 may be held to the shaft 26 as by means of the eccentric locking collar 27 of well known construction.

Since the outer bearing ring 15 is preferably of generally arcuate transverse section, and since the pillow block housing is preferably of the same general shape, some self alignment of the bearing in the housing is permitted, and this is particularly true before the fastening means secure the housing parts together and to the support; thus, the bearing tends to seek its proper alignment and thereby bearing life is substantially prolonged. Ord-inary end thrusts are easily taken by the arcuate surfaces on the outer ring and the housing parts. Any extreme end thrusts would be resisted by the inturned flanges 20 on the upper housing section and the flange sides 13 on the lower trough section.

The two housing portions mutually support each other by means of the flanges 20-20 embracing the upstanding flange portions 1010 at the sides, and by the abutment between the outer flat sides of the flanges 1i) and the inner sides of the upper housing section, as shown particularly in Fig. 2. Furthermore, the lower housing section is strengthened by the struts resulting from the trough or corrugations 16 formed in the tops, as shown. The top section also may be strengthened in the bend by the corrugations or ribs 16. My improved pillow block is preferably made of sheet metal and the parts may be very cheaply pressed into form. The complete pillow block is very sturdy and rigid, and provides adequately for self-alignment of the bearing in the housing. The pillow block is of relatively inexpensive construction and will serve many of the purposes of more elaborate and expensive pillow blocks.

While the invention has been described in considerable detail and a preferred form illustrated, it is to be under- 3 stood that changes may be made within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claim.

I claim:

In a pillow block, a sheet metal base section comprising a pair of feet to fit upon a support, integral flanges upstanding from said feet, a trough-like base housing section integrally suspended from the ends of said flanges and between the same, the upper ends of said flanges having a depression to form strengthening ribs between said flanges and trough-like base, said trough-like section being of generally circular form circurnferentially and of generally arcuate form transversely to fit and support a spherical outer bearing ring, said trough-like base section having short upstanding flanges at opposite sides, a sheet metal top housing section of generally circular form circum tferentially and generally arcuate transversely to fit over and support the spherical outer ring of a bearing, feet on said top housing section, said top housing section having a short circumferential flange at each side, said last-mentioned flanges extending down and embracing opposite sides of said lower base housing section to hold said base and top sections laterally, said upstanding flanges on said feet of said base section fitting against the lower ends of said top housing section and being clamped solely between the flanges on said top housing section, the feet of said top housing section lying in a plane and flaring outwardly firorn the lower ends of said top housing section, the feet of said base section lying in a plane below and parallel to the plane of the feet of said top section.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,508,009 Bowen Sept. 9, 1924 1,810,888 Hanson June 16, 1931 1,931,055 Carver Oct. 17, 1933 2,175,978 Swingle Oct. 10, 1939 2,270,663 Searles Jan. 20, 1942 2,271,511 Doughty Feb. 3, 1942 2,479,791 Strunk Aug. 23, 1949 2,620,244 Beatty Dec. 2, 1952 2,686,088 Nelson Aug. 10, 1954 

